10 Key Tips On How To Get Noticed By College Sports Recruiters?

Flying High! Eastern New Mexico University v West Texas A & M (NCAA D2), battle it out!

Are you a high school athlete dreaming of playing college sports? Well, it's time to start thinking strategically about how to get noticed by USA college sports recruiters in the college athletics system. With over 450,000 student-athletes across 23 sports in the NCAA alone, competition is fierce. But don't worry, we've got you covered with these top 10 tips for getting noticed by recruiters and maximizing your chances of landing a spot on a college sports team.

1. Start Early

It's never too early to start planning for college sports. The earlier you start, the more time you have to hone your skills, build your reputation, and catch the eye of recruiters. As early as your freshman year, start attending showcases and camps, connecting with coaches, and putting together a highlight reel of your best plays.

2. Be Proactive

Don't wait for recruiters to come to you - be proactive in reaching out to them. Leverage Upper 90 College to create a profile, highlight your achievements, and connect with coaches. Attend college opening days where available. We actually have a package that can help you do just that with colleges actively recruiting you, allowing you to attend events like college athletics camps where you can meet coaches in person and showcase your skills.

3. Focus on Academics

Athletic ability is important, but academics are just as crucial when it comes to getting recruited. Make sure you're taking challenging courses, maintaining good grades, and preparing for standardized tests like the SAT or ACT. Recruiters want to see that you're not only a talented athlete but also a dedicated student.

In fact, the better you do academically, the more likely a college coach will want to recruit you, given they can source more academic scholarship through admissions given your great grades, than what they can potentially give you in athletic money alone! 

4. Find Your Fit

Not all college sports programs are created equal, so it's important to find a school and program that fits your needs and goals. Part of the Upper 90 College recruiting process is that we do a lot of research across a myriad of different different schools and programs, and we task you as a student athlete to do the same.

The more you get out and research schools yourself, the better an understanding and the more natural your conversation will lead when it comes time to talk to those same coaches that are recruiting you for their program. For international students, we always suggest at some point to go out in the recruiting cycle to go out to the USA & visit campuses to get a sense of the culture, academic programs, and sports facilities.

Who knows...you may just be recruited the  day you visit, it's happened for many of our Upper 90 clients over the years, why not you! 

5. Stay Active on Social Media

Social media can be a powerful tool for getting noticed by recruiters, but use it wisely. Make sure your social media presence is professional, and don't post anything that could jeopardize your chances of getting recruited. Use platforms like Twitter and Instagram to connect with coaches, share updates on your performance, and showcase your personality. 

6. Build Relationships with Coaches

Building relationships with coaches can go a long way in getting noticed and securing a spot on a college sports team. Over the past 13 years, we've noticed that their is a lot of power for a prospective college sports prospect to see and experience the USA college athletics system live and direct.

We always suggest that it's a strong investment of time and money to attend camps and clinics where you can work directly with college coaches in the USA, send personalized emails to express your interest, and ask for feedback on your performance. 100% of the time, in the recruiting cycle, college coaches will say that they will only recruit a player to their program if they see them live. 

7. Be Prepared for Communication

When college sports recruiters at any respective college in the USA do reach out to you, be prepared to respond promptly and professionally. Make sure your contact information is up to date, and respond to emails and phone calls in a timely manner. Be prepared to answer questions about your academic and athletic background, and have your highlight reel and other materials ready to share.

8. Showcase Your Athletic Ability

When it comes to getting noticed by recruiters, it all comes down to your athletic ability. Make sure you're training hard, working on your skills, and competing at the highest level possible. Make sure your highlight reel showcases your best plays.

Now as a caveat, while a good highlight reel is important, every college coach will want to see full game footage to make a detailed assessment of every aspect of your ability in full competition.

Even more powerful, as we have mentioned above, is investing the time and resources to actually head out to different college soccer camps in the USA to get active and direct feedback from college coaches. 

9. Don't Give Up!

Getting noticed by college sports recruiters at any college in the USA is a long and often frustrating process, but don't give up. Keep working hard, staying focused on your goals, and seeking out opportunities to showcase your skills.

Even if you don't get recruited right away, keep in touch with coaches and continue to work on your game. This last point is vital, that is, being active in the recruiting cycle is a mandatory practice for successful placement into a college athletics program.

If several coaches have shown interest in you during your recruiting process, your job is to stay on top of your prospects! Its no different to being a sales person, if you lose sight of the dialogue with coaches, they'll simply move onto the next prospect. 

10. Consider Using a Recruiting Service

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the recruiting process, consider using a recruiting service. Services such as what Upper 90 College provide can help you create a professional profile, connect with coaches, and navigate the complex world of college sports recruiting.

The college sports recruiting process is an overwhelming process to navigate on your own, and having the assistance of a reputable recruiter, with many years of experience placing prospective college athletes from around the world into the college athletics system will ultimately take out the guesswork and stress of trying to find the best possible fit for your own athletic and academic abilities.

A small investment in a reputable recruiter such as Upper 90 College, will save you a lot of money, by finding the best fit, and assisting you to gain a healthy academic and athletic scholarship! 

So there you have it, 10 tips to assist you on your way to getting noticed by college sports recruiters in the USA college athletics system. It's not an easy process, though if you are proactive, have the right guidance, and find the right fit, you will be rewarded with a great college sports opportunity and gain strong athletic and academic scholarships to be able to reduce your overall educational costs up front! 

Again, if you’re looking for great guidance all the way through a tough college soccer recruiting process, contact Upper 90 College today to find out how we can assist you via our range of services!